The Deep-Sea Podcast
Armatus Oceanic
A punk take on a science podcast about everything deep sea.
- 57 minutes 57 secondsDeep-Sea Career Spotlight with Dr. Nigel MerrettEpisode Summary
This month on the Deep-Sea Podcast, we are joined by Dr Nigel Merrett for a career spotlight episode highlighting his pioneering research, genre-defining technological advancements and personal connections with some of the most well-known names in the deep-sea research community.
Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.
In this episode…Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea!
This month, Thom is in Antarctica, trying to lure a giant squid into his research gear, and Alan is headed back to the Canary Islands after an international skirmish scuttled his travel plans. Our guest this month is Dr. Nigel Merrett, a British zoologist, ichthyologist, and former director of the fish section of the British Natural History Museum. In our first career spotlight episode we shine a light on Nigel’s incredible and adventurous past, including working on the last British whaling ship, developing ground-breaking gear that is still used today, and working with some of the most impactful names in deep-sea history. Nigel shines a light on his incredible past, the importance of his work, and how we can all build on the work of others to advance science once step at a time.
In the news, get ready for updates on:- A massive cold-water coral reef off the coast of Argentina
- Crowdsourcing a new species name
- New research on deep-sea fish eyes
- Parasitic Barnacles
- Antarctic sleeper shark
We hear from Meghan Jones, cofounder of the Unseen Ocean Collective, with an update on the Juneau, Alaska, show, and the upcoming show and public events happening in Spokane, Washington, in April of 2026.
Discord update- A common toad Valentine’s Day Party
- Branching snakes, and mystery gremlins.
- Museum dinosaur exhibits
- Parasitic louse mouth orgies
- Probability of Alan being a robot
Support the show
The podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us:
Maxim
Check out our podcast merch here!
Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:
We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone!
https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail
Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time!
Find out more Social mediaBlueSky: @deepseapod.com
Twitter: @DeepSeaPod
Instagram: @deepsea_podcast
Keep up with the team on social media Twitter:Alan - @Hadalbloke
Thom - @ThomLinley
Instagram:Thom - @thom.linley
Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions
BlueSky:Thom @thomaslinley.com
Alan @hadalbloke
Reference list NewsDeep-Sea News
8,000 Suggestions Later, a Newly Discovered Deep-Sea Species Gets Its Name
Scientists discover a completely new life form wreaking havoc on deep-sea sharks
On the Origin of a Novel Parasitic-Feeding Mode within Suspension-Feeding Barnacles - ScienceDirect
Shark filmed in Antarctica for the first time | Polar Journal
Discord UpdatesUnseen Ocean Collective Juneau Exhibit
Video of the Unseen Ocean Juneau Alaska Show
All the Fish Names Entymology Podcast
BBC Audio | In Our Time | The Mariana Trench
Interview LinksDeep Sea Demersal Fish and Fisheries
WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Careproctus merretti Andriashev & Chernova, 1988
Historical Perspective Paper: Dan Morris Cohen
Credits
Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel
21 March 2026, 11:45 pm - 44 minutes 51 secondsPRESSURISED: 066 – Hadal Zone Master Class with Professor Alan JamiesonWelcome to the PRESSURISED version of episode 66. Just the science, none of the chit-chat.
Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.
In this episode…Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea!
Our guest this month is the one, the only, Prof. Alan Jamieson! Join our most favorite deep-sea professor, who takes us on a tour of the very bottom of the deepest of deep-sea. Get ready for a hot take on the past, present and future of this frontier science, while we “turn our backs to the shallow water”- Alan.
Support the showThe podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us:
Melissa M
Undersea TV
Max
Frieda of Moku Art Studio
Check out our podcast merch here!
Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:
We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone!
https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail
Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time!
Find out more Social mediaBlueSky: @deepseapod.com
Twitter: @DeepSeaPod
Instagram: @deepsea_podcast
Keep up with the team on social media Twitter:Alan - @Hadalbloke
Thom - @ThomLinley
Instagram:Thom - @thom.linley
Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions
BlueSky:Thom @thomaslinley.com
Alan @hadalbloke
Reference list Interview LinksVolcanic deposits on the Tonga forearc and trench: new insights from direct seafloor observations
Deep ocean seascape ecology: gaps and pathways for application
Credits
Logo image: Alan Jamieson
Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel
15 February 2026, 9:07 am - 1 hour 18 minutesHadal Zone Master Class with Professor Alan Jamieson
Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.
In this episode…Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea!
This month Alan makes it back to Perth for another of Old Mate’s sausage sizzles, and Thom is deep into prep mode for his upcoming Antarctica trip. We talk about video games, an Australian classic song of the month, glycerin mega mouth sharks and polar bear patrols. Our guest this month is the one, the only, Prof. Alan Jamieson! Join our most favorite deep-sea professor, who takes us on a tour of the very bottom of the deepest of deep-sea. Get ready for a hot take on the past, present and future of this frontier science, while we “turn our backs to the shallow water”- Alan.
In the news, get ready for updates on:- Microplastic and Copepod gut tracts
- Rare Phantom Jelly footage
- An Arctic Deep-sea oasis
- A surprise source of hydrogen for the deep-sea
- The King-of-the-salmon visits the surface waters
We hear from Meghan Jones, cofounder of the Unseen Ocean Collective with a fun Q&A about upcoming events in Juneau Alaska and Spokane Washington, 2026.
Discord update- Deep-sea dating articles
- Deep-Sea Valentine game
- Book recommendations and ROV highlight reels
- Squid hats in the wild.
- Whale-fall tattoos
Support the show
The podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us:
Melissa M
Undersea TV
Max
Frieda of Moku Art Studio
Check out our podcast merch here!
Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:
We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone!
https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail
Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time!
Find out more Social mediaBlueSky: @deepseapod.com
Twitter: @DeepSeaPod
Instagram: @deepsea_podcast
Keep up with the team on social media Twitter:Alan - @Hadalbloke
Thom - @ThomLinley
Instagram:Thom - @thom.linley
Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions
BlueSky:Thom @thomaslinley.com
Alan @hadalbloke
Reference list NewsDeep-Sea News
Study Records Zooplankton Transporting Microplastics to the Deep Sea
Real-time visualization reveals copepod mediated microplastic flux - ScienceDirect
Deep-Sea Divers Capture Rare Footage of a Giant Phantom Jellyfish | PetaPixel
Schmidt Ocean Institute Phantom Jellyfish Footage
Scientists just found 'deep-sea oasis' in an Arctic region thought to be barren
Deep-sea vents are drawing hydrogen from a hidden source - Earth.com
California Diver Spots Rare Deep-Sea King-Of-The-Salmon Just 4.6 Meters Below The Surface
Discord UpdatesThese Deep-Sea Creatures Liked You on Hinge - McSweeney’s Internet Tendency
Unseen Ocean CollectiveUnseen Ocean Collective Website
Unseen Ocean Collective (@unseenoceancollective) • Instagram photos and videos
Unseen Ocean Collective on BlueSky
Interview LinksVolcanic deposits on the Tonga forearc and trench: new insights from direct seafloor observations
Deep ocean seascape ecology: gaps and pathways for application
Credits
Song of the month: Smoko by The Chats
Logo image: Alan Jamieson
Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel
31 January 2026, 10:17 am - 42 minutes 7 secondsPRESSURISED: 065 – Giant Testate Protists with Professor Andrew GoodayWelcome to the PRESSURISED version of episode 65, just the science, none of the waffle
Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.
In this episode…Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea!
This month, we are talking giant testate protists, the coolest things you have probably never heard of. Giant cells on the deep seabed that can reach 20 cm or more. They build elaborate shells, and despite having known about them for hundreds of years, there are still loads we don't understand about them.
Support the showThe podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us.
Check out our podcast merch here!
Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:
We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone!
https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail
Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time!
Find out more Social mediaBlueSky: @deepseapod.com
https://bsky.app/profile/deepseapod.com
Twitter: @DeepSeaPod
https://twitter.com/DeepSeaPod
Instagram: @deepsea_podcast
https://www.instagram.com/deepsea_podcast/
Keep up with the team on social media Twitter:Alan - @Hadalbloke
Thom - @ThomLinley
Instagram:Thom - @thom.linley
Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions
BlueSky:Thom @thomaslinley.com
Alan @hadalbloke
Reference list Interview LinksPaleodictyon nodosum: A living fossil on the deep-sea floor
CreditsLogo image: NOAA public domain
Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel
18 January 2026, 8:29 am - 1 hour 7 minutesGiant Testate Protists with Professor Andrew Gooday
Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.
In this episode…Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea!
Thom and Alan discuss Christmas from opposite ends of the planet, where Alan gets ‘proper’ Christmas in Scotland with snow and everything. At the opposite end, Thom insists on using his new BBQ, despite a rainstorm turning the air to liquid.
The exhibit that Thom was curating, Breathe | Mauri Ora at Te Papa, is an examination of the intersection of science and art by Marshmallow Lazer Feast. It is open now if you find yourself in Wellington, New Zealand.
This month, we are talking giant testate protists, the coolest things you have probably never heard of. Giant cells on the deep seabed that can reach 20 cm or more. They build elaborate shells, and despite having known about them for hundreds of years, there are still loads we don't understand about them.
In the news, get ready for updates on:- Squids hiding under the sea floor, pretending to be plants
- A rare seven-armed octopus sighting
- Deep-sea art that highlights the effects of coral dredging
- Missing zombie worms and expanding oxygen minimum zones
- New Whale Tags helping with deep-sea data recovery
- A massive white skate nursery and Canada’s first hydrothermal site
Discord update- The Deep-Sea Pets Channel continues to give back with excellent photos of our fav friends
- Our Holiday party was a total success, with many episodes of Octonauts watched and ‘enjoyed’ by all
- We assessed some of the ‘animal saving’ videos, as discussed by Tyler on the Mythbusting AI episode.
- Excellent Dragon-based book recommendations.
- We all wished we could visit Thom’s New show opening at Te Papa.
- Thom shared a beautiful video about Antarctica from his Falkor Too trip last year.
- Planning a Time Machine to scuba dive ancient seas, study the squid therein, and then hop on a boat trip with Darwin.
- TBOS and KBOS brushes of science versus various squid photos.
- Compared holiday baking recipes
- Photos and observations shared from SOA divestream viewing
- And, as always, vicarious travel to aquariums around the world!
The podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us.
Check out our podcast merch here!
Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:
We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone!
https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail
Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time!
Find out more Social mediaBlueSky: @deepseapod.com
https://bsky.app/profile/deepseapod.com
Twitter: @DeepSeaPod
https://twitter.com/DeepSeaPod
Instagram: @deepsea_podcast
https://www.instagram.com/deepsea_podcast/
Keep up with the team on social media Twitter:Alan - @Hadalbloke
Thom - @ThomLinley
Instagram:Thom - @thom.linley
Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions
BlueSky:Thom @thomaslinley.com
Alan @hadalbloke
Reference list NewsDeep Sea Valentines | Support Skype a Scientist with the Squid Facts shop!
Deep-Sea News
Unknown species of squid spotted burying itself upside down, pretending to be a plant
Rarely-Seen Seven-Arm 'Blob' Octopus Filmed by Underwater Camera | PetaPixel
Former submarine pilot's art highlights the deep sea | Hawai'i Public Radio
Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) | Kerby Illustrations
Zombie worms are missing and scientists are alarmed | ScienceDaily
Whale tag will help decode communication in the deep ocean - Earth.com
Discord UpdatesInside Breathe: Mauri Ora at Te Papa | RNZ
Crossing the Divide | Climate Connections at the Ice-Sea Interface
Interview Links
Paleodictyon nodosum: A living fossil on the deep-sea floor
CreditsSong of the month: It is that deep, bro by Matt Storer
Logo image: NOAA public domain
Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel
9 January 2026, 9:07 am - 1 hour 10 minutesPRESSURISED: 064 – Cephstravanganza with Professor Kat BolstadWelcome to the PRESSURISED version of episode 64, just the science, none of the waffle PRESSURISED: Cephstravanganza with Professor Kat Bolstad | The Deep-Sea Podcast | Episode 64
Episode SummaryIn our newest episode, we join roving reporter Kat Bolstad at the Cephalopod International Advisory Council in Okinawa and hear from some of the most interesting people in Cephalopod research.
Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.
In this episode…Our episode this month is a fascinating collection of interviews from the Cephalopod International Advisory Council Meeting that took place Oct-Nov in Okinawa Japan. Join Kat Bolstad, our roving reporter, as she takes time between bug hunting, seeing her first wild cuttlefish and shaking hands with a new octopus friend to collect interviews with some of the coolest names in Ceph science with a focus on the deep-sea. We hear from 12 Cephalopod experts on a wide variety of topics, including the preferred snacks for cephalopods, the effects of oxygen depletion on egg hatching, water temperature and acidification effects on cephalopod populations, and of course, the correct answer to the viral question: are octopuses actually ALIENS?
Support the showThe podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us:
Elisabeth Grace Diemer
Nes Morgan
Check out our podcast merch here!
Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:
We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone!
https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail
Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time!
Find out more Social mediaBlueSky: @deepseapod.com
https://bsky.app/profile/deepseapod.com
Twitter: @DeepSeaPod
https://twitter.com/DeepSeaPod
Instagram: @deepsea_podcast
https://www.instagram.com/deepsea_podcast/
Keep up with the team on social media Twitter:Alan - @Hadalbloke
Thom - @ThomLinley
Instagram:Thom - @thom.linley
Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions
BlueSky:Thom @thomaslinley.com
Alan @hadalbloke
Reference list Unseen Ocean CollectiveUnseen Ocean Collective (@unseenoceancollective) • Instagram photos and videos
https://bsky.app/profile/unseenocean.bsky.social
Interview LinksKat’s Socials
Bluesky: @autsquidsquad.bsky.social
Sarah McAnulty
Skype a Scientist SkypeAScientist.com
Kristina Fleetwood
Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary
Meg Mindlin
Toni’s socials
Toni’s Research Group
Funcionamiento y Vulnerabilidad de Ecosistemas Marinos | Institut de Ciències del Mar
Other Links
Breathe | Mauri Ora | Te PapaMitochondrial genome diversity and population structure of the giant squid Architeuthis
Cephalopod camouflage bibliography on Zotero
AUT Lab for Cephalopod Ecology & Systematics aka AUT ‘Squid Squad’
Cephalopod Images and Footage
CIAC 2025 website, programme, book of abstracts
CreditsSong of the month: Tornado of Souls, by Megadeth, performed by medium-sized Jamieson.
Logo image: Photo credit to Peter Morse @PeterAndTheOctopus
Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel
20 December 2025, 10:21 pm - 1 hour 54 minutesCephstravanganza with Professor Kat BolstadEpisode Summary
In our newest episode, we join roving reporter Kat Bolstad at the Cephalopod International Advisory Council in Okinawa and hear from some of the most interesting people in Cephalopod research.
Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.
In this episode…Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea!
The Professor is still down under, organizing conferences and recuperating from Old Mate’s Classic Aussie Sausage Sizzle, a robust event filled with friends of the podcast and still felt 24 hours later.
Thom is freshly back from another big ocean/small boat adventure, in which the ocean always wins and his stomach always loses… everything. He is also stretching his creative muscles and curating an exciting new museum exhibit called Breathe | Mauri Ora at Te Papa, an examination of science into art by Marshmallow Lazer Feast.
Our episode this month is a fascinating collection of interviews from the Cephalopod International Advisory Council Meeting that took place Oct-Nov in Okinawa Japan. Join Kat Bolstad, our roving reporter, as she takes time between bug hunting, seeing her first wild cuttlefish and shaking hands with a new octopus friend to collect interviews with some of the coolest names in Ceph science with a focus on the deep-sea. We hear from 12 Cephalopod experts on a wide variety of topics, including the preferred snacks for cephalopods, the effects of oxygen depletion on egg hatching, water temperature and acidification effects on cephalopod populations, and of course, the correct answer to the viral question: are octopuses actually ALIENS?
In the news, get ready for updates on:
- Deep diving manta rays using the ocean bottom to navigate
- A newly launched AI tool to map the Deep- Sea
- Bright blue mud filled with fat molecules indicating life in the deep
- Corals and Crinoids sharing symbionts and cycling nitrogen
- And an update from the Unseen Ocean Collective about the work they are creating for a show in Juneau Alaska in 2026.
On the Discord, we’ve been busy with:
- Voting on the Holiday Party movie
- Started a long overdue ART channel, and a new Pets channel
- Photo tours of submersibles and Okinawa
- Early Holiday celebrations by one of our hosts
- Great feedback and conversation on our last episode.
The podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us:
Elisabeth Grace Diemer
Nes Morgan
Check out our podcast merch here!
Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:
We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone!
https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail
Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time!
Find out more Social mediaBlueSky: @deepseapod.com
https://bsky.app/profile/deepseapod.com
Twitter: @DeepSeaPod
https://twitter.com/DeepSeaPod
Instagram: @deepsea_podcast
https://www.instagram.com/deepsea_podcast/
Keep up with the team on social media Twitter:Alan - @Hadalbloke
https://twitter.com/Hadalbloke
Thom - @ThomLinley
https://twitter.com/ThomLinley
Instagram:Thom - @thom.linley
https://www.instagram.com/thom.linley/
Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions
https://www.instagram.com/inkfishexpeditions/
BlueSky:Thom @thomaslinley.com
https://bsky.app/profile/thomaslinley.com
Alan @hadalbloke
https://bsky.app/profile/hadalbloke.bsky.social
Reference list NewsDeep-Sea News
World's largest rays may be diving to extreme depths to build mental maps of vast oceans
China launches AI tool for deep-sea research
Unseen Ocean CollectiveUnseen Ocean Collective (@unseenoceancollective) • Instagram photos and videos
https://bsky.app/profile/unseenocean.bsky.social
Discord UpdatesHoliday Party! Join Patreon here to get access to the Holiday party!
Interview LinksKat’s Socials
Bluesky: @autsquidsquad.bsky.social
Sarah McAnulty
Skype a Scientist SkypeAScientist.com
Kristina Fleetwood
Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary
Meg Mindlin
Toni’s socials
Toni’s Research Group
Funcionamiento y Vulnerabilidad de Ecosistemas Marinos | Institut de Ciències del Mar
Other Links
Breathe | Mauri Ora | Te PapaMitochondrial genome diversity and population structure of the giant squid Architeuthis
Cephalopod camouflage bibliography on Zotero
AUT Lab for Cephalopod Ecology & Systematics aka AUT ‘Squid Squad’
Cephalopod Images and Footage
CIAC 2025 website, programme, book of abstracts
https://www.ryo-minemizu.com/
CreditsSong of the month: Tornado of Souls, by Megadeth, performed by medium-sized Jamieson.
Logo image: Photo credit to Peter Morse @PeterAndTheOctopus
Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel
6 December 2025, 9:02 pm - 37 minutes 49 secondsPRESSURISED: 063 – Bioluminescent Symbiosis with Margaret McFall-NgaiWelcome to the PRESSURISED version of episode 63, just the science, none of the waffle
PRESSURISED: Bioluminescent Symbiosis with Margaret McFall-Ngai | The Deep-Sea Podcast | Episode 63
Our guest this month is Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai, an animal physiologist and biochemist who is a staff researcher at Carnegie Institution for Science’s Division of Biosphere Sciences and Engineering, with her lab stationed at the California Institute of Technology in Biology and Biological Engineering. Dr. McFal-Ngai talks us through her work on the stable beneficial relationship between the Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) and its partner, the luminous bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Although technically not a deep-sea species, this relationship and its details might help us understand how deep-sea life creates bioluminescence and the possible life cycle impacts for the creatures involved.
GlossaryCrypt - The chambers within the squid's light organ.
Support the showThe podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us:
Sophie Bagshaw
Laura
Check out our podcast merch here!
Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:
We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone!
https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail
Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time!
Find out more Social mediaBlueSky: @deepseapod.com
Twitter: @DeepSeaPod
Instagram: @deepsea_podcast
Keep up with the team on social mediaTwitter:
Alan - @Hadalbloke
Thom - @ThomLinley
Instagram:
Thom - @thom.linley
Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions
BlueSky:
Thom @thomaslinley.com
Alan @hadalbloke
Reference list Interview LinksA lasting symbiosis: how the Hawaiian bobtail squid finds and
keeps its bioluminescent bacterial partner
A lasting symbiosis: how Vibrio fischeri finds a squid partner
and persists within its natural host
CreditsLogo image: Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai
Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel
15 November 2025, 9:02 pm - 1 hour 10 minutesBioluminescent Symbiosis with Margaret McFall-NgaiEpisode Summary
In our newest episode, Bioluminescent Symbiosis, we speak with Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai, an animal physiologist and biochemist about her work with the Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) and its partner, the luminous bacterium Vibrio fischeri. McFall-Ngai provides a great synopsis of how this stable beneficial relationship not only creates light, and supports the bobtail maturation, but can also help us understand what could be going on in the light organs of deep-sea animals.
Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.
In this episode…Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea!
The Professor is jetsetting as always, back in Edinburgh after a stint getting all the equipment ready in the Canary Island and is now happily being confused with professional racecar drivers. He will be back in Perth shortly to celebrate the Deep-Sea center paper publishing streak and reconnect with his Capybara spirit animal.
Thom is being called out in New Zealand Parliament, for all the right reasons, and he spent some Deep-Sea conference time in China, avoiding typhoons and pondering science ideas.
We are also celebrating 300,000 podcast downloads of the podcast, and appreciate our fans immensely!
Our guest this month is Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai, an animal physiologist and biochemist who is a staff researcher at Carnegie Institution for Science’s Division of Biosphere Sciences and Engineering, with her lab stationed at the California Institute of Technology in Biology and Biological Engineering. Dr. McFal-Ngai talks us through her work on the stable beneficial relationship between the Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) and its partner, the luminous bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Although technically not a deep-sea species, this relationship and its details might help us understand how deep-sea life creates bioluminescence and the possible life cycle impacts for the creatures involved.
In the news, get ready for updates on:
- Plenty of Science and Art collaboration news including a new collective, social media feeds and an opportunity for scientists to connect with artists.
- Toxic Yellow worms, bright pink snailfish, and chewbacca corals.
- An immensely important treaty ratification with worldwide impact.
- Headteeth, yes you read that right.
‘
On the Discord, we’ve been busy with:
- Bobtail squid fostercare
- New Boardgame recommendations
- Needle felting
- New community papers and a Juicy Booty Starfish
Support the showThe podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us:
Sophie Bagshaw
Laura
Check out our podcast merch here!
Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:
We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone!
https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail
Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time!
Find out more Social mediaBlueSky: @deepseapod.com
Twitter: @DeepSeaPod
Instagram: @deepsea_podcast
Keep up with the team on social mediaTwitter:
Alan - @Hadalbloke
Thom - @ThomLinley
Instagram:
Thom - @thom.linley
Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions
BlueSky:
Thom @thomaslinley.com
Alan @hadalbloke
Reference list NewsLinks from Friends of the Show:
Products | Support Skype a Scientist with the Squid Facts shop!
Deep Sea Biology Society ArtSea Matchmaking Project
Unseen Ocean Collective (@unseenoceancollective) • Instagram photos and videos
https://bsky.app/profile/unseenocean.bsky.social
Swedish Biodiversity Symposium, 21 - 23 October 2025
Deep Sea Art + Science Feed on Blue Sky
NewsDeep-Sea Worm Produces Orpiment, a Toxic Yellow Pigment Used in Historical Art | Scientific American
Nations ratify the world's first treaty to protect international waters
Ghost sharks grow teeth on their heads to mate | ScienceDaily
Discord UpdatesDiatoms | Board Game | BoardGameGeek
Join our Patreon to get access to the Discord
Interview LinksA lasting symbiosis: how the Hawaiian bobtail squid finds and
keeps its bioluminescent bacterial partner
A lasting symbiosis: how Vibrio fischeri finds a squid partner
and persists within its natural host
CreditsLogo image: Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai
Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel
7 November 2025, 9:03 am - 38 minutes 8 secondsThe Deco-Stop: 004 - No Word for Ocean with Yakup Niyazi
Here’s our fourth episode of The Deco-Stop; a deeper look into the humans behind deep-sea science and technology. We’ve done our science dive, and now it’s time to decompress, and discuss tales at sea, career paths and the social & political aspects of deep-sea science. We have gazed into the abyss, and now it's gazing back at us.
Alan and Thom speak with Yakup Niyazi, a marine geoscientist who first saw the ocean at the age of 27. This fourth instalment in the Deco-Stop series, which focuses on the human element of deep-sea research, is an inspiring episode about one man’s journey from the desert to the bottom of the ocean, his challenges, achievements, and the deep community support he received along the way.
Check out our lovely new website, where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.
In this episode…Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, this month we have a heartwarming Deco Stop episode and are again exploring …‘the human element in deep sea stories..’ - Alan
In our fourth instalment of the Deco-Stop series, Alan and Thom speak with Yakup Niyazi about his journey from the edge of the Asian Desert to the bottom of the ocean. An ethnic Uyghur who grew up in the city of Aksu, at the edge of the Taklamakan Desert in Central Asia, Yakup grew up not only physically but also emotionally and culturally removed from the sea. Yakup's early experiences pose some interesting questions: What is it like to grow up in a culture that doesn’t really have a concept of the ocean, and few descriptive words for the ocean? How do you interact with the ocean if your only experiences are from movies and television?
His incredible story is filled with overcoming adversity, fulfilled dreams, landscapes (and seascapes) that come full circle, and a deeper appreciation of the ocean than most people will ever experience. Despite humble beginnings, Yakup has an impressive roster of achievements and a social circle of supportive connections who only want to see him succeed further.
This inspiring episode reminds us that, regardless of our original circumstances, the world is a vast place filled with incredible opportunities. One day, you might find yourself exiting a hadal submarine, surrounded by the heartwarming cheers of friends and colleagues, having successfully visited the bottom of the ocean you only saw for the first time at age 27.
“I was a camel before, from the desert, but now I am a shark swimming in the ocean”- Yakup Niyazi
Support the showThe podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us.
Check out our podcast merch here!
Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:
We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone!
https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail
Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time!
Find out more Social mediaBlueSky: @deepseapod.com
Twitter: @DeepSeaPod
Instagram: @deepsea_podcast
Keep up with the team on social media Twitter:Alan - @Hadalbloke
Thom - @ThomLinley
Instagram:Thom - @thom.linley
Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions
BlueSky:Thom @thomaslinley.com
CreditsLogo image: Georgia Wells
Theme: Going Home by Harvey Jones
3 October 2025, 11:34 am - 37 minutes 59 secondsPRESSURISED: 062 – Mythbusting Ai with Tyler GreenfieldWelcome to the PRESSURISED version of episode 62, just the science, none of the waffle PRESSURISED: Mythbusting Ai with Tyler Greenfield | The Deep-Sea Podcast | Episode 62
Check out our lovely new website where you can find more detailed notes, images and links to the wider reading.
In a follow-up to one of our favourite episodes, Ep 10 Here be Monsters, we bring Tyler Greenfield back for another fascinating chat, this time about Mythbusting in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Our feeds have been filled with images of mermaids, bizarre creatures supposedly from the depths and even strange barnacle washing videos, so we ask Tyler to bring his expertise to weigh in on the prevalence and problems with AI images.
Guest InterviewTyler Greenfield is a paleontologist and cryptozoologist whose blog, Incertae Sedis reveals the truth behind some cryptozoological stories and paleontological mistakes. Since his appearance on episode 10, Tyler has finished his bachelor’s, written a good few papers, appeared on other podcasts (none as good as his debut of course) and is almost done with his masters and is about to start his PhD. He was even a credited consultant on the new (2025) Walking with Dinosaurs.
Support the showThe podcast is self-sustaining (just) thanks to our lovely listeners. Thom and Alan take no money for the show. All money is put back into running it. Here’s a link to our page on how to support us, from the free options to becoming a patron of the show. We want to say a huge thank you to those patrons who have already pledged to support us:
Hugo Shiboski
Check out our podcast merch here!
Join our Patreon to get access to the Discord
https://www.patreon.com/c/deepseapodcast
Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:
We’d love to actually play your voice, so feel free to record a short audio note on our brand new answerphone!
https://www.speakpipe.com/deepseapodvoicemail
Thanks again for tuning in; we’ll deep-see you next time!
Find out more Social mediaBlueSky: @deepseapod.com
Twitter: @DeepSeaPod
Instagram: @deepsea_podcast
Keep up with the team on social media Twitter:Alan - @Hadalbloke
Thom - @ThomLinley
Instagram:Thom - @thom.linley
Inkfish - @inkfishexpeditions
BlueSky:Thom @thomaslinley.com
Reference listThe original article for our unfortunate ‘squid’ image
How A Golden Nurse Shark Made History
InterviewTyler’s master’s/doctorate research
- https://usercontent.one/wp/pecescriollos.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/PI-04-Greenfield-2022-List-of-skeletal-material-from-megatooth-sharks.pdf
- https://usercontent.one/wp/pecescriollos.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/PI-06-Shimada-Greenfield-2022-Responses-to-Skeletal-material-from-megatooth-sharks.pdf
CreditsLogo image: AI image originally used by Sustainability Times- AI images are not made by humans and cannot be copyrighted. (Sorry, not sorry)
Theme: Hadal Zone Express by Märvel
16 September 2025, 4:46 am - More Episodes? Get the App